Queen Charlotte College

Queen Charlotte College

School Evaluation Report 

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

Context 

Queen Charlotte College is a state, co-educational secondary school, located in Picton. It provides education for learners from Years 7 to 13. Aquaculture and construction trade academies operate from the school site. The school’s vision is ‘Mo Ake Tonu E | To aspire forever’.

There are two parts to this report.

Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki/bilingual settings. 

Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle. 

Part A: Current State

The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.

Learner Success and Wellbeing 

Improvements are required to ensure all learners are engaged, making sufficient progress and achieving well.
  • Most Year 7 learners enter the school below expected curriculum levels in literacy and mathematics; the school accelerates the progress of a small majority by the end of Year 10.
  • Year 11 learners’ achievement at Level 1 of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has declined significantly over the past five years; the large majority of learners who remain at the school leave with NCEA Level 2.
  • The school has yet to address inequity of achievement for Māori learners.
  • Regular attendance is improving; however, the school remains considerably below the Ministry of Education target as few students attend regularly.

Conditions to support learner success

Leaders are working towards fostering a culture committed to quality teaching and equity and excellence in learner outcomes.
  • Leaders are taking steps towards planning, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of consistent processes and practices to improve engagement, progress, achievement and wellbeing.
  • Senior leaders are beginning to build middle leaders’ capabilities to analyse achievement and progress data and use it to inform planning and evaluate the impact of teaching in their areas. 
The school is improving teaching and learning.
  • Learners have sufficient opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum.
  • The establishment of a ‘hub’ for Year 7 and 8 students enables closer, more effective teacher collaboration to improve literacy and mathematics progress and achievement for these learners.
  • Leaders and teachers are beginning to develop shared understanding of high quality teaching and learning practices to benefit learner outcomes.
  • Leaders and teachers are yet to analyse or use progress and achievement information effectively to support responsive planning and improve learner outcomes school wide.
The school is taking steps to strengthen the support it provides to ensure learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.
  • Learners report they enjoy being in a small school that provides a variety of curriculum and co-curricular opportunities. 
  • Learners, whānau, and teachers collaborate to set and monitor goals; these are beginning to build learner and whānau understanding of progress and achievement.
  • Leaders and teachers are establishing planning and conditions to support improvements in the quality of education for learners; school values, behaviour management and restorative practices have been reviewed and have reduced pastoral incidents. 
  • The board have adopted new processes for reporting and to ensure consistent review processes of school policies.

Part B: Where to next?

The agreed next steps for the school are to: 

  • embed revised school values and align these with the school’s culture, systems and expectations to improve the consistency of teachers’ responses and raise learner engagement 
  • develop and implement shared understanding of high quality teaching and learning practices
  • develop and implement consistent assessment plans, tools and school wide analysis, to effectively evaluate learner progress and achievement, enable aligned reporting systems, and inform planning
  • improve engagement and sufficiently accelerate the progress of Years 7 to 10 learners in literacy and mathematics
  • significantly increase the levels of regular attendance.

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within six months:

  • identify professional learning opportunities to build teachers’ understanding and capabilities in high quality teaching, learning and assessment practices with particular focus on literacy and mathematics in Years 7 to 10
  • establish implementation planning with appropriate measures, indicators and reporting timeframes to improve attendance, engagement, progress and achievement 
  • complete the review of the school values and incorporate these consistently throughout school wide culture, systems and expectations
  • establish termly review to ensure that systems, processes and practices for monitoring, reporting on and responding to attendance, engagement, progress and achievement are effective and providing useful information for the board and leaders to base decisions on  

Every six months:

  • teachers monitor and report on Year 7 to 10 students’ progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics, informed by across-school checking of assessment judgements 
  • senior leaders report to the board on student attendance, engagement and achievement to identify trends and emerging needs and know about the effectiveness of strategies and interventions
  • middle and senior leaders evaluate areas of strength and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment practices to inform planning for future professional learning for teachers 

Annually:

  • teachers continue to compare and analyse achievement data across the school for consistency of achievement judgements and to inform next steps in learning 
  • leaders analyse and report progress and achievement data to the board to strategically plan actions that continue to improve equitable achievement for Years 7 to 10 learners in literacy and mathematics and for Years 11 to 13 learners in NCEA
  • board and leaders scrutinise student attendance and engagement information to know about the effective delivery of strategic goals and identify improvement priorities. 

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

  • improved teacher capability in teaching and assessment practices and data analysis that meaningfully informs planning
  • improved progress and achievement in literacy and mathematics for learners in Years 7 to 10
  • increased success in National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) 
  • raised learner engagement and levels of regular attendance.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

3 December 2024

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Queen Charlotte College

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2024 to 2027

As of March 2024, the Queen Charlotte College Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

ERO and the board have identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • The Board must meet the objectives in governing the school, self-review, and monitor its performance against strategic planning documents [Sections 127, 145, 639 Education and Training Act 2020; Education (School Planning and Reporting) Regulations 2023]
  • Policy and procedures for child protection must be compliant [Section 15 Oranga Tamariki Act 1989; Part 6 and Sections 18, 19 Children’s Act 2014]
  • Policies and procedures that relate to students who have special education needs must be implemented without discrimination [Section 34 Education and Training Act 2020]
  • Policies and practices for physical restraint must have regard to the legislation, rules and guidelines [Sections 99-101 Education and Training Act 2020; Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2023]
  • The board must be satisfied that student absences are correctly recorded, monitored and followed up [Section 36, Education and Training Act 2020; Regulations 3/11 Education (School Attendance) Regulations 1951]
  • All Year 7 and 8 students must be taught five hours of Mathematics in a typical school week [Foundational Curriculum Policy Statements and National Curriculum Statements 2023]
  • Health and safety risks in the school and its activities must be controlled [Health and Safety at Work Act 2015] 
  • Planning documents and policies must align with the National Education and Learning Priorities [The Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) 2020] 
  • In consultation with the school’s Māori community, the board must develop and make known the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students [Sections 127 (1) (d), 139 Education and Training Act 2023; The Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) 2020]

The board has since taken steps to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Queen Charlotte College, Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

3 December 2024

About the School 

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Queen Charlotte College

Provision for International Students Report 

Background

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code. 

At the time of this review there were three international students attending the school.

The school’s self-review of its provision and outcomes for international students is mostly effective. The programme has been kept small, for manageability, and would benefit from more formal strategic planning by the board.

Students’ accommodation and pastoral needs are regularly monitored and met. They receive appropriate support services and courses which support their learning. International students are involved in school activities and leadership opportunities.

Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools

3 December 2024

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home 

Queen Charlotte College - 19/12/2017

School Context

Queen Charlotte College is a Year 7-13 college in Picton with a roll of 340 students. The school has close connections with local iwi and Waikawa marae, the business community and support agencies.

Since the last ERO review, the school has a new principal and senior leadership team. There have been many staff changes. The whole school has participated in Ministry of Education professional learning and development initiatives. These include writing, spirals of inquiry, Accelerated Learning in Mathematics and Positive Behaviour for Learning.

The school states that its vision is to inspire and challenge students towards maximum achievement through personal best while respecting self, others and our environment’. It has summarised this statement to mean ‘Ake Tonu – Personal Best’. The school’s valued outcomes are for all students to ‘not give up - foster fairness, responsible leadership, and mutual respect’. It also values diversity while promoting high standards of behaviour and achievement. The school’s aims and goals focus on improving children’s achievement in National Standards and NCEA, with a particular emphasis on writing.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, school-wide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

  • achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to the National Standards and achievement in all curriculum areas for students in Years 7 to 10

  • senior student NCEA data

  • students’ engagement and wellbeing

  • progressions beyond school.

Queen Charlotte College is a member of the Te Wheke Akoranga Kāhui Ako Marlborough Sounds |Community of Learning (CoL).

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

Over the past three years the school has not consistently shown equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students.

Achievement at/above the National Standards for children in Years 7 and 8 is mixed. Since 2014 the large majority of children achieve at/above the National Standards for reading. A smaller majority of these children achieve at these levels in writing and mathematics. Māori children and boys tend to achieve less well in reading, as is also evident for boys in writing and girls in mathematics.

Almost all Māori students in 2016 achieved NCEA Level 2. Overall achievement for Māori learners in NCEA Levels 1 and 3 and National Standards is lower than other groups of students. In 2016 all Pacific students gained NCEA Level 1 or 2 from Year 11 or 12.

The school’s students have consistently achieved 80% and over in NCEA Level 2 since 2014. Most students leave school with NCEA Level 2 and almost all students go on to further education or employment when they leave school. Overall, students’ achievement is lower than national comparative groups in NCEA Levels 1 and 3, and University Entrance.

The school places a strong focus on retaining senior students until 17 years of age. These students are well supported in this through meaningful pathways to achieve appropriate leavers' qualifications. Since 2014, the school has shown that increasingly greater proportions of students are remaining at school until after their 17th birthday. This was evident for all leavers in 2016.

The school has appropriate processes and practices for assessment and moderation supported by useful guidelines for teachers. The board can have confidence in the accuracy of teachers’ judgements in relation to the National Standards given the assessment tools teachers are using. The school’s practices in managing national assessment for senior students are robust.

1.2 How effectively does this school respond to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration?

The school needs to strengthen the way it responds to those Māori and other students whose learning and achievement need acceleration.

The school is developing systems to respond to those students in Years 9 and 10 whose learning and achievement need acceleration. There is a range of information on individual students’ achievement, however the school is not yet reporting clearly to the board on the extent to which students are making accelerated progress.

In 2016 fewer than half of the students in Years 7 and 8 made accelerated progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school is promoting educational success for the small number of Pacific students. Individual teachers monitor and track Pacific students’ progress and achievement.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence?

The school’s curriculum is responsive and personalised to meet the needs and individual interests of students. This is enhanced through:

  • strong community collaborations with the school which enrich the curriculum
  • effective communication between teachers, deans and the staff in the careers department
  • the wide variety of opportunities students have to learn, including the school’s aquaculture programme strongly reflecting the local context.

Meaningful relationships between students and teachers ensure that the school’s focus on pastoral care and knowing the learner is upheld. The school’s inclusive environment is leading to a strong sense of belonging for students.

Individual student’s achievement and progress is tracked and monitored by teachers. This helps to inform the different approaches teachers use to engage students in their learning. Greater student engagement is also being achieved through the range of strategies being used by the school to communicate with parents and whānau.

There is closer monitoring of individual senior students’ progress towards NCEA. Senior leaders are developing useful systems to track the achievement of these students, and identify those who require additional support or opportunities for them to achieve. This shared responsibility for student outcomes is likely to promote their success.

The board and school leaders are committed to improvements in learner outcomes. Provision and support for equity for all learners is a school priority. Trustees support this through proactive resourcing. The school’s involvement in the Te Wheke Akoranga Kāhui Ako Marlborough Sounds|Community of Learning (CoL) is having a positive impact on teaching and learning.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence?

The school needs to improve the use of learning information. School targets need to clearly focus on accelerating progress for those learners who require additional support. Leaders and teachers need to carefully track and monitor the sufficiency of progress for individuals and specific groups of students. This should improve the usefulness of the school’s internal evaluation to identify what is and what is not working to accelerate learner achievement.

Greater board scrutiny of the effectiveness of the school in achieving valued student outcomes should better inform trustees in their future strategic planning.

Leaders and teachers need to strengthen systems and processes to enable and sustain improvement and innovation. Greater coherence between strategic planning, annual planning, departmental goals and teachers inquiring into the effectiveness of their teaching practices is needed. The board should also implement reliable ways of knowing how satisfied all staff members are with their roles and responsibilities at the school.

3 Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following:

  • board administration

  • curriculum

  • management of health, safety and welfare

  • personnel management

  • finance

  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)

  • physical safety of students

  • teacher registration and certification

  • processes for appointing staff

  • stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students

  • attendance

  • school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

At the time of this review, there was one international student attending the school.

The school is effective in providing pastoral care and good quality education for its international students. They are well supported to integrate into the school and local community. International students have regular opportunities to provide feedback about their learning and wellbeing.

4 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

  • the way in which the school’s diverse curriculum engages learners and provides them with meaningful pathways as they progress through and beyond the school

  • knowing their learners and the pastoral care and support they receive

  • a school-wide commitment to improved learner outcomes that is likely to be evidenced in future achievements.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, development priorities are in:

  • better use of learning information that leads to improved internal evaluation and includes knowing about the impact of school programmes

  • strategic planning, including planning for the valued outcomes that the school has for its learners

  • specific planning to accelerate learning for those students not achieving equitable outcomes [ERO will monitor and discuss progress with the school.]

ERO’s next external evaluation process and timing

ERO is likely to carry out the next external evaluation in three years.

Dr Lesley Paterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern

Te Waipounamu - Southern Region

19 December 2017

About the school

Location

Picton

Ministry of Education profile number

287

School type

Secondary Years 7 to 13

School roll

340

Gender composition

Boys: 56% Girls: 44%

Ethnic composition

Pākeha 57%
Māori 35%
Pacific 1%
Other 7%

Provision of Māori medium education

No

Review team on site

October 2017

Date of this report

19 December 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

August 2013

November 2010

November 2007